The Significance of the Dark Personality in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Bisexual and Gay Males Against Same-Sex Partners

Intimate partner violence (IPV) between heterosexuals has typically received more attention than sexual minorities with prevalence studies estimating that between 34 and 45% of men in same-same relationships have been subject to IPV. This study focused on cis-gender bisexual and gay males with the aim of establishing if significantly higher levels of dark personality traits were displayed by those who had perpetrated against a same-sex partner in at least one adult relationship. This socially aversive side of the personality is known as the Dark Triad consisting of three distinct, but overlapping traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. The common core of the dark personality is callous manipulation and behavioural tendency toward aggression. Using a between-subject design, a sample of 148 bisexual and gay male participants disclosed whether or not they had perpetrated IPV against a same-sex partner with their level of dark personality measured using the Short Dark Triad (SD3) scale. It was found that gay and bisexual males who had perpetrated IPV had a statistically significant higher level of dark personality than bisexual and gay males who had not committed IPV (p = .001) with a moderate effect size (d = 0.58). As separate groups, the level of dark personality was statistically higher for bisexual males perpetrators of IPV (p = .012) and gay male perpetrators of IPV (p = 0.35). The effect size for bisexual males (d = 0.56) and gay males (d = 0.72) were moderate effect size. For all groups, effect size indicated a meaningful and noticeable relationship between level of dark personality and the perpetration of IPV. Bisexual and gay males with higher levels of dark personality traits are potentially more likely to engage in abusive interpersonal relationships with a same-sex partner compared to those with lower levels of these traits. This indicates that the Dark Triad is implicated in same-sex IPV.